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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. current — happening now
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — of water
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — to sink
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com